Kuksa Carving - alexyerks.com - Carving a wooden cup with an axe and knife
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- čas přidán 21. 06. 2012
- I wanted to share my process of carving a traditional kuksa (scandinavian wooden cup)
with an axe and knife from raw tree form to roughly shaped.
Just to set the record straight because there seems to be this wave of trolls and folks with very boring lives that have to keep commenting ridiculous things. First off, I'm not an professional arborist, second I was taught this method by various people and some that work at professional sugarees, third I hear you.. the music is a bit loud in some sections. My house and everything I own burned to the ground so I can no longer go back and edit some of these things. It's been four years since I uploaded this and even today I'm still learning more editing techniques. I'm not a professional videographer, nor do I care really! I put this up because I was asked to by many people to show "how I do it". It may differ than how others will suggest, it's all personal preference.
No this does not hurt the tree, that tree is still there today and living a happy life. Also this is the forested property where I grew up as a kid. Not sure where all the goofy city comments from. Want to see what it's really like? Maybe the trolls need to get off the couch they're glued to and get outside to experience some nature of their own. Which is why I made the film. To get folks inspired to get out. So for all rude morons and the negativity I keep deleting from the comment sections, grow up, get a life, and go have some fun. You could really use some.
Now lets get back to regular programming! If you don't like the video, go watch something you do like. It's not for everyone.
Music © Grateful Dead except for the last track which is ©AlexanderYerks
www.alexyerks.com
Thanks @rick shuman. This video is ancient now.. Almost three years. My skills and technique have evolved a lot. The Adze is great for that. I have since moved onto a larger one that suits my designs better. Perhaps it's time for a new video when I rebuild my shop. Be fun to compare the differences and how much more efficient I've become with an axe
I wish I knew more woodworking other than just greenwood. I envy carpenters. Ive never been trained on that field of work and I just love seeing handmade anything.
I love me some rustic tools.... This makes me go out to the park and harvest fell from the fall. Get my mallet and Fro and quarter some shakes.... Clean them up real nice with my draw knife.... store them up for the summer, use what i cut last year for this years green projects.... Thanks for the upload! Yup! Nothing like hand crafted rustic!
That workbench looks simply amazing and performs the same, the simpler the better
Why would anyone complain about this sublime music of the gods being too loud? It's just right, dude. Many thanks!
I dig your choice of music, it really makes the video whole
watching you carve I'd addicting! you're a true craftsman, thanks for keeping the craft alive and for sharing your skill.
Hey thanks for saying so. Glad to share what I can!
Oi there, man, just found your channel! ❤️ 🙏 Needless to say I will get on your nerves more frequently now... ☺️ Really great work, I am very glad I found you. ❤️ 🙏
Thank you that’s nice of you to say. I’m hoping to start uploading here more often
@@alexanderyerks Looking forward to your content! ❤️ 🙏
Nice video, thanks for sharing! Nice to see how you did it. Love those axes!
+Gand Alf thanks!!
Fun to watch! In Sweden we do the same thing. Made my first one in wood shop class. We call that little drinking cup "kåsa" and most outdoorsy types carry one at all times.
Kasa...he he.Here in Croatia,and elsewhere where is spoken serbo-croatian-bosnian language we have word čaša.It is pronounced like chasha in english. ;-)
This is so awesome!! You are a true craftsman!!
+Anne Berry thanks!
Sweet! Kuksa carving, and Cumberland Blues!
+Karl Johnsen thanks!
Loved the video man. There is something therapeutic about wood working. Even simply listening to it. Im going to try to make a kuksa at some point. I appreciate the tutorial!
Man this is very cool. That is an awesome Kuksa you made and that yard area at the end is amazing !
Thanks for sharing
Very nice. Love the tiny Adze!
It sure is. A friend custom made it for me, works very well.
Love the video can't wait for more sharing
Charles Dean thanks!
This is a great montage of you putting down an axe and walking away.
+slaction thanks!
I can respect that, just really feels like the video isn't ever going to go anywhere. Had to force myself to watch the whole thing.
Hey man, that is true and you're the first person to recognize that fact. That tool is an adze.. sort of a hammer with a sharp gouge face. If I strike 1mm too far, I could ruin 4-10mm of the top face of the cup. Then I have to hew it off and have a smaller finished piece... or start over fresh. It happens, I just leave those out 8) They keep my shop warm in the woodstove if you know what I mean. Thank you so much for the nice words, that made my day
~Alex
I don't understand the negative comments here - I guess those complaining never really made a kuksa themselves. I made the first two from hand until I got to sanding them down. Cheated a little and used powertools - currently I got my third in the making using only hand tools (hatchet, carving knife, hook knife & stones for sanding rather than paper). Just for the experience. So far I guess I already put in some 10+ hours of work, and it is slowly taking shape. Truth being told: When it comes to the first two finished once, I had five attempts in which some problem came up (fissures and the classic: missing a hit with the hatchet and messing up the rough shape). When it comes to the 3rd one made only with hand tools: This also is the 3rd attempt given comparable problems arising as with the two other projects.
Shit happens. And the only way to learn is: Learning by doing. Great work in this footage, I love it. :)
Hey thank you for saying that. This is such an old video and I didn't see anyone making kuksas in the way I do. Now that I've developed and helped invent some new tools for this process it seems everyone is doing it this way now, but rarely do people ever link it back to me, which is alright.
But yeah I attract a lot of haters and have learned to ignore that crap. I don't get paid to share this stuff, but I do because I hope to find jolly folks like yourself that may get some inspiration and take it up. I don't want to be the only one seeing the magic in these little things you know?
You are learning the best way possible. Everyone just asks how to do it, and really unless you're willing to go to a teacher which there are like 2 in the world that I know of, then you learn by making a lot of junk firewood! You wouldn't believe how many Ive burned. Ive made one a day for almost 12 years now. Im due for a new video but it's tricky you know? Time to make these films eats up a week of my carving and teaching work.
That and when I make films all it attracts is people demanding a list of tools to buy, and I grow tired of being a free tool advertiser and not getting anything in return! haha not sound greedy but I need to make a living too. So I am going to start selling my own tools, and maybe making some how to films to help people that can't afford to travel to me for a class.
I appreciate you reaching out and telling your story, this is what carving is all about for me.
One day... I will learn this! Nice video man.
Insane quality bro!
Thanks for actually using a wooden mallet to hit the back of a tool, always irks me when someone uses a mini sledge to hit something steel. Like someone using a sledge to hit a splitting wedge. Drives me crazy.
Exacty, why abuse tools and also risk the danger of having a shard of metal fly at you like a bullet? Plus who doesn't like a giant wooden mallet? I plan on using these tools for the rest of my life so I might as well take care of them. Thanks for commenting
Great video! Defiantly appreciate all the Dead tunes
+dillonWY thanks!!
Glad you liked it. Nothing cooler than a froe. Can't believe no one knows what they are usually. So effective and brilliant, and simple... just how life should. Glad to hear others out there are having fun and making things. No more wasted hands!!! 8)
Thanks for the nice words I really appreciate it.
Thank you ***** ! Can't wait to see what you got!
Excellent craftsmanship. Congratulations.
Axes beautiful.
A big hug from southern Brazil.
Thank you for the kind words, that is great to hear. That is a first! Brazil! Amazing.. so far from cold New York.. it was -10 two weeks ago!
Do you know any people who make wooden items like cups down there? Id love to see them. These are more of a swedish craft.
Thanks again
Alexander Yerks Hello friend. All right?
Inspired by your videos, I have done several kuksas. I used native wood in southern Brazil, called "Araucaria" a native kind of pine in our country.
I leave my video here:
czcams.com/video/e_SWxDQW7I8/video.html
Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Big hug.
grupogatodomato hey thanks for the nice words. Things are alight. Our house burned down a couple months ago so weve been having a tough time starting over but we're looking up.
Interested to see your kuksas but I only see a knife review in your video.
Alexander Yerks Hey friend, I'm sorry for your losses.
I hope everyone in the family are well.
Improvements there friend, I am praying for you.
Big hug.
Thank you! It's nice to not be held back by cell phone qualities in my last videos
you chop like a woodpecker... amazing video inspiring
+John Tatlongmaria :) thanks!
This is just a cool vid to watch bro. Cool axe for sure!
Great vid, great music, but i was laughin so hard when you panned of into the horizon at the end.
Excellent. Inspirational craftmanship :)
+kleinesmaccify thanks for saying so
Alexander I just unloaded a 1000 pound birch burl. Getting ready to slab it up. Should make a few kuksa. Thanks for the great video.
+G Cox howd your cup turn out?
Это же как надо любить процесс?! чтобы ради такого результата вложитьстолько труда
Parabéns pelo excelente trabalho!!
Um abraço!!
Awesome stuff brother! Kuksa - next project!
This pleases my eyeballs :)
i could watch this all day long,
what a nice axe you have my friend, looks sharp,
great movie
enjoyable. looking forward to the update.
Nice axe and beautiful work!
+The Only XzombizzX thanks!!
please update your title to.
Kuksa Carving - Carving a traditional wooden cup with an axe a knife and some other specialty tools only wood carvers would have.
Thanks
Great video though, you are a great craftsman. The title just led me to believe you were doing something else, like carving a cup with an axe and a regular knife.
Axe, adze, and hooked knife. It can be done without the adze but it would take a long ass time. This also is not a traditional kuksa. I believe a traditional kuksa is made from a large knot thingy (Where a tree has had a limb broken off and has self healed over the exposed bit) in the tree and is typically made of but not limited to birch. This is simply a kuksa styled cup.
CanadianOutdoorsmen I think maybe you mean a birch burl.
Thomas Hanson That's the word. Thanks m8
+Gary Webb they really aren't specialty tools. Before the industrial revolution most houses had an axe, a straight knife, and some tool with a curved edge to do some hollowing. They're very old tools and the reason why we don't see them today is because of 'disposable' culture. We've lost these tools and techniques to assembly line production.
Thanks for the kind words. I hear that a lot about specialty tools and I always think..man...if only every house had these tools they could make anything.
...and an unseen saw... @13:00 see the cut lines.
Just for the record, I thought the tunes were great, and I liked the kuksa and the way you made it. I'm gonna try one and have been watching a lot of videos about making them
hey thanks!! It's nice to see so many new kuksa type films out these days. Back when I started I was one of the first to share these. But my process has changed and now it takes me about an hour to finish a cup, and I've developed some better tools for the job. Happy carving!
im waiting for another video man nice work
thanks for saying so! Had a house fire and lost all my gear and everything I owned. So it's taken me a while to get back to the state I was in making these. New films soon!!!
Im so enjoy watching your video
impressive!!! Very good job .
+makenzi222 thanks!
nice, good work
Nice work!!
Fine craftsmanship! I would love to own one of your kuksas
Thank you, I really enjoy using it. Got the idea from an old Swedish clog makers film, and then discovered Robin Wood's build plans for it so I may make more now that I have that.
Love the Kuksa, the axe, the carving, also the videography, the editing. But best of all, love the sound of the axe and the kniffe :-)
Thanks for the kind words. I love carving outdoors, it's just not the same under a roof.
I charge $100.00 for my 6-8 oz. carvings depending on the materials. I'd love to visit Sweden and see the masters carve these!
It takes me 4-5 hours, but I get a little faster everyday. This wood was River Birch. I'll take a peak at the blog right now, sorry for the delay in response.
Hey thanks Benedikt, means a lot. I appreciate it.
Love your work bench, love your tools and simplicity. Have just started carving 5 months ago and fallen in love! Only made spoons so far but my mind is thinking way faster than I have time to carve! Have some nice bits of ash, horse chestnut, hazel and apple waiting to be carved!!! And a couple of nicely pollarded ash trees at my parents I can make a few ladles etc out off :D Would have been nice to see the finished product.
nice work dude :D loce the way you cut the wood with the axe!
+TWIXPANTS thanks!
Excelente trabajo de hacha y azuela, te felicito.
un saludo desde España
An Adze is a axe where the axehead is turned so it is horizontal and you chop from above, it can either be flat or curved, in this video a curved one is used to hollow out the Kuksa. A Froe is a kind of thick long blade that you place ontop of a log and hammer down on to split it precicesly.
Good choice in music
great video !!
Thank you!
I love your office
Thanks, I can't complain. The view is different everyday :)
I know this is an old vid, but I enjoyed it. Nice work!
Holy crap, I got so scared when you started splitting the big chunks off, I didn't notice that you'd cut them before splitting them.
great edit, I wish I could have seen the finished product
+Andrew Verga Sorry I didn't post up the finished side. Im due for a new video. You can see my finished cups on my website. www.theaxeisboldaslove.com
Viru Sinstall To properly wedge the form into the chopping block, it has to be square. Also this keeps the block stable when you're carving, since we're cutting very close too our hands.
Amen - I like your troll-free intro comments, seems like EVERYBODY is a critic these days! Do your thing and carve on .... other things may not always be so nice but the wood is always good.
THANK YOU!! It gets tiring sharing something I love and film for free when the trolls roll on in. But I keep doing it in hopes that folks like yourself will find something nice out of it. Cheers!
I'm slowly working on a longer length film showing some of the knifework. Just tough to keep up with freelance work and my carvings
Thanks, glad you liked it.
very helpful ! thank you
Why take over 9000 hours making the top completely flat when most of it is going to be taken away anyway?
Viru Sinstall Depends on which design Im going for. This particular kuksa has a flat top and rim. Also to be able to clamp this piece of wood down I have to take it from it's raw form, to something in block form. Otherwise I can't clamp it. This video is older and this roughing process takes about 20 minutes
Yeah sometimes when i don't take the time to flatten the top of bowls and kuksa's that I make, I think it's alright, until the end when it's all jagged and in order to cut the jagged edges off, the bowl becomes shallower.
MsMegajosh Mainly I flatten the block of wood so it's safer to carve with. It stabilizes it while chopping, and it also makes it easier to plan out what you are making. With jagged edges, why not just chamfer the corners off so they're not so sharp?
It's not just that they're sharp, but sometimes, if you don't clean up the roughness on the top after you split it, then you need to do it afterwards, which makes it more shallow. they're just rough. btw Alexander Yerks I found an axe similar to your viking one. I bought it and it's awesome.
MsMegajosh Ohhhhhhh, I see what you mean now. Yes, you have to have a clean top otherwise you have torn out fibers. Then you'd have to shave a couple millimeteres off and lose volume of the cup edge. Some people don't get it and that's fine. (like the poor fellow above) I spend my time carving, they spend their time trolling which to me seems like a huge waste of time when there are so many more fun and useful things to do. Really I just make some so so videos to share what Im up to and hope to inspire the few that want to invest their time into learning something new about themselves and an old craft. Glad you liked it.
Glad you found an axe you like, be careful it's addictive! :)
that is a great looking axe
Really nicely done video man :)
+Bushcraft Heroes thank you!
Nice work. You might try using the adze to cut the curve under the handle. The sweep of the blade works very well across the grain, inside and outside of the bowl.
+Rick Schuman you know I've been doing that a lot recently. SO much less stress being put on the handle too
My usual favorite species to carve. It's Birch.
Amazing video! :)
Wow you chop really fast!
good stuff mate
great video, nice work! :)
+Steinmetz Steinbildhauer hey thanks!
Hi Socaloutdoor
Thanks for the nice words. It might seem like I spent a lot more time on the hewing but that's because I kept switching my camera angles. I like to flatten them so they sit more snug when I chop them. If they're rounder, I don't feel as confident gripping the piece in my left hand since I am swinging very close to it.
It's also easier for me to visualize my prize when I can have them as a block.
I may end up Carving a new helve for that axe. It's snug, but Id like to it to
Great music man!
+talley1013 thanks!
needs some viking music to go along. nice axe work. I'm thinking about making a few rustic benches like yours for some old school wood working.
If I knew how to play viking music, it'd be interesting to add. But Im not a viking so Im not sure how it would apply. :) I do plan on recording more rustic music in the future for projects. I can't borrow music anymore as I grew tired of my account being penalized so I make it all myself now. More work, but more worth it.
I re-enact Vikings... and as far as I know we have ABSOLUTELY no records of what music they played, and only a couple of bone flutes found... so anything that purports to be Viking music these days is purely conjecture... a lot of it seems to be people trying to tie in to the popularity that Vikings now seem to have...
Thanks brother! I'm excited to have new software as well. I'm helping my father build a recording studio soon.. so we will have to talk about some soundtracks for future projects eh?
Not all of them. I trade a lot with people and have aquired a nice little collection of their axes though. I've never bought one because they're very expensive. I've either traded kuksas, knives, axes, or received them as a gift. I have a lot of no name early american farm relics that I use too.
I just chose those for the video because they were what flavor I was into at the time. Lately I've been all about that large bearded axe.
It was really hard to track one down.. also very expensive... which isn't really my style. But I just had to have this axe, it's my favorite to carve with now.
Thanks, I can tell from your screenname that you enjoyed the music I picked out..
you are very skilled in your trade Alexander Yerks, I would like to do this
+Avery Vance Thank you. Are you in the US? I teach this up in the Catskills, cmon over.
The station wasn't hard at all. Pretty straight forward. I believe Robin Wood has plans on his website I was told. I made mine from a Swedish film from 1921.
Parabens cara muito top.
Gracias
Good axe
You know what everyone must be thinking when you post with that awesome screen name right? 8)
This is river birch. I prefer white birch for carving but it's similar. This tree also had a more yellow tint than the usual pale white birch.
Сool sound!
Thanks!
First one was Cumberland Blues, I'll have to look into what the other was. Thanks!
U forgot to add in the title the small detail : spoon axe.
Super nice work. subbed you
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it. Glad to get another sub, the kuksas will be happy.
Good work!:)
Thank you very much, it means a lot.
Alexander Yerks
You can visited my channel.:)
Nice video - I enjoy listening to the Dead tunes while watching you carve. Is that pine or spruce that you used for your kuksa? If so, how did it hold up over time?
Hey Darrin
Thanks for the kind words. Evergreen woods just would not work for holding liquid as they're full of resin and ring porous. So you need a clean hardwood that is diffuse porous. I used birch for mine. I'm still using the same cup I made five years ago with no maintenance. Just tons of coffee :)
Thank you! It means a lot to hear that. It wasn't a how to video to begin with, just another observation. Plus when do you get to see people carving cups these days anywhoo! Until next time ;)
Great work! Can I ask what type of wood you used? How did you dry it?
nice to things done in the traditional way, so what kind of protective coating do you put on afterwards?
+baidu games I just use tung or linseed oil. (food grade/pure only)
Nice control with those amazing tools. I gotta make me a small ax like that. that thing is a work of art. Ever make one from a birch burl like the Sami do?
A sketch would be amazing.
Also sry for the late reply, i was busy planting potatoes :D